Left Hand (Nate & Eliot)
by Regalredstar
Summary: Loyal right hand. The one with the power to speak for the king. Better keep your eyes on it.


Left Hand

Disclaimer: I do not own Leverage. Not even on DVD. (They disappeared during a move. Sigh.)

Loyal right hand. That's what people always say. The right hand's the one who the leader trusts above all others. The one who can speak in their name, and with their authority. Anyone who knows the first thing about Leverage Inc knows that Sophie Devereaux fills that role for Nathan Ford.

It's probably true. Sophie's got the flash and the charisma that people normally associate with a vaunted role like that of the leader's right hand. She excels at nudging, guiding, and cajoling the mark into doing exactly what Nate wants. Just like a good right hand should do.

She is the queen in the chess game Nate constantly plays against the world. She sweeps across the board, taking pieces and effortlessly commanding the game. She effortlessly keeps the knight and bishop in line. Only the rook dares disobey, and then only in his role as protector.

This is what anyone watching Leverage Inc sees. This is what Nate wants them to see.

Thing is...

People always assume that Nate's game is chess. He's a mastermind after all. Plans a dozen moves ahead of what any sane person would consider reasonable. The problem with that it, well…

Much as he tries to deny it Nate's a con, born of a line of cons. He learned the game at his father's knee. And the game he learned? It wasn't chess.

Chess is a game of generals. Of gentleman seated in fine parlors. It is a game of rules and of honor.

Nate's game is the con's game. It is a game of streets and alleys. Of bars and backrooms. It is a game where cheating is encouraged, and misdirection is the rule of the day.

And that is why people on the outside will never truly understand Leverage Inc. They assume Nate's playing chess with the world. If they realized what he was actually playing then another truth would quickly become evident: Sophie is not Nate's second in command.

Oh yes, she has the flash, and the wit, and the charm. She draws your eyes, makes you sit up and pay attention. That's the whole point. That's the job of the frontman, the face, the grifter. As long as you're paying attention to her you never even see the quiet guy in the pack who is actually directing everyone. Never even notice him setting things up so the goals are accomplished and the team is protected. Never notice when he comes up behind and slits your throat.

It took Tara forever to recognize the truth. When she arrived she assumed that Sophie had been 2iC, and that she was supposed to fill that role herself. Even after she saw Hardison and Parker obey Eliot's orders she didn't get it. Even when they ignored those same orders when she gave them. It took her seeing Eliot stand up to Nate when he disagreed with a plan before she really grasped the truth. The right hand might have the prestige, but it's the left that has the power.

Loyal right hand. That's right, just keep your eyes on it. Because as long as you watch the flash and the show, you'll never even see what the left hand is doing.

A/N:

So, yeah. I've had this one kicking around for a while. Gone through several versions. I'm still not sure if I know what to think of it, but I had to get it off my hard drive and into the wild. Please tell me what you think? What works? What doesn't? Please? Thanks.

Currently I'm working on one more Fathers & Son story. It'll be called "The Dad Who Was Always There." The fandom is Lois & Clark, and the father/son duo is Perry White & Jimmy Olsen. It's based around the Season 3 Episode "The Dad Who Came In From The Cold." Would people be interested in reading it? I know its not a common fandom anymore, but I was rewatching it recently and that episode struck me, especially in light of how close the bond between Perry and Jimmy is on the show.

Other WIPs include the next chapter of Ghosts (which'll probably be up next), the next chapter of Fly Again, the next Annie Edison, Vampire Slayer story (blame Professor Duncan for the delay on that one-he's not cooperating and is insisting that his story has to be way earlier than it is in the outline), and a couple of MCU one shots (one centered on Loki and the other on SHIELD).  
There's also 2 longform MCU stories that have the potential to be very long indeed. The Outline/Timeline for one of them stretches from the 1960s to Endgame.

Let me know if their's anything you're particularly interested in and I'll try to prioritize working on it.

Until Next time,  
Regal


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